The sports magazine France Football is behind the awards. The European Football Association is a co-organizer starting this year.
Rodri received the award after a stellar season for his club team, Manchester City, and the Spanish national team. City won the Premier League again, while Spain triumphed in this summer’s European Championship finals.
– I believe Rodri deserves the award based on his contributions to both club and national team last season, says football expert Simen Stamsø Møller to NTB.
The Spanish midfield star is currently out long-term due to injury. He sustained a serious knee injury earlier this fall and will not be seen on the pitch until next season.
Rodri was nominated for this year’s Ballon d’Or alongside stars such as Erling Braut Haaland, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, and Lamine Yamal.
Haaland, who finished second behind Lionel Messi a year ago, ended up in fifth place this time. He was not present in Paris.
Real Madrid Drama
According to the lists of most bookmakers, Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior was the favorite to win the prestigious award on Monday. However, drama unfolded just hours before the gala in Paris.
It became known that Real Madrid had canceled the club’s planned trip to the French capital. The reason was that Vinicius would not receive the main prize.
– It is quite clear that the Ballon d’Or and UEFA do not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid is not present where they are not shown respect, the club wrote to the news agency AFP.
The football giant further pointed out that if the prize did not go to Vinicius, it should have gone to Dani Carvajal. The latter won both the Spanish league and the Champions League with the club team last season, in addition to the European Championship with Spain.
TV 2 expert Stamsø Møller does not understand Real Madrid’s reaction.
– It does not suit Real Madrid to be such poor losers. This is an award given subjectively based on criteria, but there is nothing stating what weighs heaviest. Rodri was both better and more important for his team than Carvajal in last season’s triumphs, he tells NTB.
Read more: Real Madrid boycotts the Ballon d’Or: – It doesn’t suit them to be poor losers
Rejected Revelation
In a statement before Monday’s award ceremony, the organizer of the Ballon d’Or gala claimed that no players or clubs had prior knowledge of who would be crowned the winner.
– All clubs and players are in the same boat, said the organizer, emphasizing that the awards have strict rules regarding confidentiality.
Real Madrid was awarded the team of the year prize on Monday, in addition to Carlo Ancelotti being named coach of the year. However, the event in Paris felt special as no one was present to receive the honor.
Martin Ødegaard ended up in 19th place in this year’s Ballon d’Or ranking. Thus, the injured Arsenal captain made a jump from 28th place in last year’s ranking.
Read more: Haaland finished fifth in the Ballon d’Or ranking – Ødegaard 19
No Ronaldo and Messi
The gala on Monday also marked the first time since 2003 that neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi appeared on the 30-name shortlist of nominees.
Messi won the award a year ago. The Argentine has topped the list three of the last five times the honor has been awarded. In 2020, the ceremony was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The format of the Ballon d’Or awards has changed in recent years. Previously focusing on players’ performances in the current calendar year, players are now assessed based on what they did in the previous season.
The Ballon d’Or, in French Ballon d’Or, has been awarded since 1956.
Read more: Lamine Yamal named young player of the year at the Ballon d’Or ceremony
—
The last ten Ballon d’Or winners:
* 2024: Rodri, Spain (Manchester City)
* 2023: Lionel Messi, Argentina (Paris Saint-Germain)
* 2022: Karim Benzema, France (Real Madrid)
* 2021: Messi (Barcelona)
* 2020: Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
* 2019: Messi (Barcelona)
* 2018: Luka Modric, Croatia (Real Madrid)
* 2017: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal (Real Madrid)
* 2016: Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
* 2015: Messi (Barcelona)
* 2014: Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
—